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Cujo ices Ovechkin

Curtis Joseph made nine saves last night against the Washington Capitals after coming in with 57 seconds left in the third period. He stopped all three players – including NHL goal-scoring leader Alex Ovechkin – in the shootout.

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, right, scores his 51st goal of the season against Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Martin Gerber during the second period of their NHL hockey game in Toronto, March 24, 2009. (MIKE CASSESE / REUTERS)

By Kevin McGranSports Reporter

Wed., March 25, 2009

Curtis Joseph never broke a sweat. But he did crack a smile at the way he got the win.

"The timing of it was curious," said Joseph.

He skated on to the ice with 57 seconds left in the third period, the game tied 2-2, when starting goalie Martin Gerber was ejected for an altercation with the officials.

Joseph made nine saves – eight in overtime, six of them spectacular. He stopped all three players – including NHL goal-scoring leader Alex Ovechkin – in the shootout.

He had over 19,000 fans chanting his name after the Maple Leafs' 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals last night.

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"The lack of sweat to get the win is probably a record for me," said Joseph, named the game's first star.

Teammate Matt Stajan called it a "perfect ninth inning" causing Joseph to laugh.

"I could do that closer's role," said Joseph. "Sometimes starting pitchers become closers later on in their career. I'd be happy with that."

Gerber, however, was not laughing. He may face supplemental discipline for the altercation with the officials on Brooks Laich's game-tying goal.

A three-game suspension is likely. Last night, Colin Campbell, the NHL's chief disciplinarian, said the league was waiting for the referees' official post-game report before meting out discipline.

The melee occurred at the 19:53 mark of the third. Pavel Kubina had scored a power-play goal at 17:52, giving the Leafs a 2-1 lead. The Caps pressed back, with Laich finally getting credit for a goal after repeatedly jabbing at the puck under Gerber. All that jabbing appeared to force Gerber to slide backwards into the net, the puck under his pad.

"It was under his far pad," said Laich. "At that point, I was just trying to crash the net, try anything. I was desperate. I was able to get it across the line."

Gerber was incensed the whistle had not been blown sooner.

"The puck was underneath here," said Gerber, pointing at his thigh. "Then (Laich) comes with the stick and pushes me into the net."

In frustration, Gerber shot the puck against the boards, in the general direction of referee Mike Leggo. He also jostled with linesman Pierre Champoux in a desperate attempt to argue with Leggo.

"I'm sorry for losing my cool there," said Gerber. "I was upset and it shouldn't happen."

From the bench, Joseph couldn't believe what he was seeing. He said it brought back memories of his shoving of official Mick McGeough in a playoff game. Then his teammates started taunting him.

"They were laughing at me saying, `You've got to go in.' I was like, `I have to go in.'"

He said he drew on the experience of having come in for Vesa Toskala – just for the shootout – in a loss to Anaheim earlier this season.

"I learned from that," said Joseph.

He stopped Ovechkin in close in regulation, and then made a series of saves in overtime.

Ovechkin scored the Caps' opening goal and assisted on Laich's equalizer, but Joseph stopped him in the shootout to clinch the win. While the Air Canada Centre crowd waited breathlessly for Ovechkin to put on a show in the shootout, Joseph wasn't intimidated.

"Ovechkin is definitely the greatest player in the game right now – I would agree with that," said Joseph. "But I've played against the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, guys like that. That experience helped."

Leafs' Jeff Hamilton, up first in the shootout, had the only goal.

Almost lost in all the excitement of the game's closing moments was the first NHL goal for rookie defender Phil Oreskovic. His slapshot from the point fooled Jose Theodore at 9:04 of the second period.

"It was definitely exciting," said Oreskovic. "It's nice to get the first one. I'm still a little tingly inside."

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